This type of connector is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,500. The connector disclosed is composed of intermatable plug connector and receptacle connectors, each provided with two rows of electrical contacts. The plug and receptacle connectors are electrically connected together when they are mated by interconnecting corresponding pairs of contacts. In addition to those contacts, each connector half is provided with a plurality of planar contacts extending longitudinally between the two rows of contacts, so that each planar contact is connected with the corresponding planar contact of its pair when the plug connector and the receptacle connector are mated with each other.
Further, each of the planar contacts interconnected as described above is grounded by being connected to a grounding terminal, and the planar contacts together function as an electrical shield between the two rows of contacts in order to prevent, e.g., cross talk of signals.
As the planar contacts in the connector are applied as a shield, and each planar contact provided between the two rows of contacts is electrically independent, it is necessary for each planar contact to be connected to a grounding terminal. For this reason, each planar contact of the prior connector must be is provided with an outwardly extending lead for insertion and soldering into a through-hole, traced for grounding on a printed circuit board.
As the connector is constructed as described above, it is necessary not only for each planar contact to be formed with a lead, but also for the printed circuit board to be formed with a corresponding number of through-holes for the leads, thus presenting the problem of additional restrictive requirements to be met when designing circuit patterns of the printed circuit board.
Furthermore, in the connector of the above U.S. patent, the two rows of contacts are assembled with the housing by insertion therein from the outer or base face (lower side) of the housing, but the planar contacts are inserted therein from the inner or mating face (upper side) of the housing thus presenting the problem of requiring a plurality of assembly steps.